Bioswellable sutures

Abstract

Swellable, coated sutures have a swellable polymeric coating and a fibrous component, wherein the coating is formed of an absorbable or non-absorbable polymer, while the fibrous component is formed of a synthetic absorbable or non-absorbable monofilament yarn, synthetic absorbable or non-absorbable braided multifilament yarn, braided silk multifilament yarn or combinations thereof. In certain instances, the coating is used as a carrier for the controlled delivery of different types of bioactive agents, including those having antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anesthetic, tissue growth-promoting, and antineoplastic activities.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A bioswellable suture having an underlying suture and a bioswellable coating thereon, wherein the bioswellable coating comprises an aliphatic polyether glycol grafted with a mixture of cyclic monomers comprising from about 85 to about 99 percent by mole of ε-caprolactone and from about 15 to about 1 percent by mole of at least one additional monomer selected from the group consisting of glycolide, p-dioxanone, lactide, and a morpholinedione, to form a triblock polymer with a central block derived from the aliphatic polyether glycol and terminal blocks derived from cyclic monomers, wherein the coating exhibits an inherent viscosity of less than about 0.7 dL/g and heat of fusion of less than about 70 J/g, and wherein the coating comprises from about 0.1 to about 15 percent by weight of the total suture weight, the coated suture exhibiting an increase in cross-sectional area upon soaking in saline for one hour; and
 the grafted aliphatic polyether glycol is a polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of 0.4 to 15 kDa. 
 
     
     
       2. A bioswellable suture as in  claim 1  wherein the underlying suture comprises an absorbable monofilament yarn comprising a polymer made by the ring-opening polymerization of at least one cyclic monomer selected from the group consisting of glycolide, l-lactide, ε-caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate, p-dioxanone, 1,5-dioxepan-2-one, and a morpholinedione. 
     
     
       3. A bioswellable suture as in  claim 1  wherein the underlying suture comprises a swellable, absorbable monofilament yarn comprising a polymer made by end grafting an aliphatic polyether glycol with at least one cyclic monomer selected from the group consisting of glycolide, l-lactide, ε-caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate, p-dioxanone, 1,5-dioxepan-2-one, and a morpholinedione. 
     
     
       4. A bioswellable suture as in  claim 1  wherein the underlying suture comprises an absorbable, braided multifilament yarn comprising at least one type of polymer made by the ring-opening polymerization of at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of glycolide, l-lactide, ε-caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate, p-dioxanone, 1,5-dioxepan-2-one, and a morpholinedione. 
     
     
       5. A bioswellable suture as in  claim 4  wherein the absorbable, braided multifilament yarn further comprises at least one additional copolymer made by end-grafting an aliphatic polyether glycol with at least one cycle monomer selected from the group consisting of glycolide, l-lactide, ε-caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate, p-dioxanone, 1,5-dioxepan-2-one, and a morpholinedione. 
     
     
       6. A bioswellable suture as in  claim 1  wherein the underlying suture comprises an absorbable, braided multifilament yarn comprising at least one type of polymer made by end-grafting a polyether glycol with at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of glycolide, l-lactide, ε-caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate, p-dioxanone, 1,5-dioxepan-2-one, and a morpholinedione. 
     
     
       7. A bioswellable suture as in  claim 6  wherein the polyether glycol in the yarn comprises a polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of 1 to 35 kDa. 
     
     
       8. A bioswellable suture as in  claim 1  wherein the underlying suture comprises a braided multifilament comprising a multi-filament silk yarn. 
     
     
       9. A bioswellable suture as in  claim 1  wherein the coating comprises at least one bioactive agent selected from the group consisting antimicrobial agents, anti-inflammatory agents, antiviral agents, antineoplastic agents, anesthetic agents, and tissue growth-promoting agents. 
     
     
       10. A bioswellable suture as in  claim 1  wherein the bioswellable coating comprises polyethylene glycol grafted with a mixture of ε-caprolactone and glycolide. 
     
     
       11. A bioswellable suture as in  claim 10  wherein the bioswellable coating comprises polyethylene glycol grafted with a mixture of 99/1 mole % ε-caprolactone and glycolide. 
     
     
       12. A bioswellable suture as in  claim 10  wherein the bioswellable coating comprises polyethylene glycol grafted with a mixture of 95/5 mole % ε-caprolactone/glycolide. 
     
     
       13. A bioswellable suture as in  claim 12  wherein the underlying suture comprises a braided multifilament made of 95/5 (molar) glycolide/ε-caprolactone. 
     
     
       14. A bioswellable suture as in  claim 12  wherein the underlying suture comprises a braided multifilament made of 70/30 (molar) glycolide/ε-caprolactone. 
     
     
       15. A bioswellable suture as in  claim 1  wherein the underlying suture comprises a braided multifilament made of 95/5 (molar) glycolide/ε-caprolactone.